By Ademola Bello
Judge Nancy Maldonaldo will only rule whether she would grant partial release of Tinubu transcript or academic records without jeopardizing the privacy laws in the US. The privacy law provides that students academic records cannot be released to anyone without the student’s consent.
The first Judge ruled that Tinubu’s partial academic record should be released to Atiku without jeopardizing his privacy. However, Tinubu appealed that. And the Judge agreed with him.
Tinubu attended Chicago State University. The University had confirmed that to true.
The issue now is whether someone else can gain access to another person’s academic records.
Lets forget all the fake news. The reality is there for all to see. For example, Barack Obama fought for his academic records from Columbia University and Harvard Law School not to be released to the Republicans and Donald Trump that requested for them. Ditto for former President Trump and President W Bush.
There is a law called Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, FERPA. The law safeguards students privacy by limiting who may access their academic records.
It should be known that Tinubu is not hiding anything regarding his Chicago State University academic sojourn. He attended the institution. But like any current or former student, he has a right to academic privacy under the U.S. law and he can ask the University not to release his academic records. Obama and Trump did the same thing.
They have a good ground for their objections to such requests. And this is that their political opponents will use their academic records for mischief.
From all indications, that is what Tinubu’s traducers are trying to do and they’re bound to fail.
—-Bello is a New York based journalist.
